Portal to the future showcases imaginative new public spaces

This is part of the ambitious and inspirational vision for the future of public spaces in the Square Mile’s tall building cluster, which was published by the Eastern City Business Improvement District (EC BID) following 10 months of collaborative working.

The Vision seeks to support the City of London Corporation on plans already in the pipeline and identify other opportunities that could be expedited and delivered through partnership and investment between the public and private sectors.  It  aims to create a more welcoming, green, accessible and vibrant neighbourhood for workers, residents and visitors through a series of urban design projects.

 The Portal, an interactive installation designed by Erik Schmitz and Jonas Johansson, is  located on Camomile Street next to 100 Bishopsgate.  Visitors can scan a QR code and visually transport themselves into a reimagined Camomile Street – a street completely closed to traffic and transformed into an inviting public space.  It is free to visit from 14^th October – 14^th November.

The public realm vision is the result of a collaborative process led by the Eastern City BID and urban designers Publica, closely aligning with the City of London Corporation’s and property developers’ existing plans. Extensive research, stakeholder engagement and public consultation shaped the vision's seven core aims: welcoming public spaces, green streets and plazas, lively activity, intuitive navigation, enhanced heritage, accessibility for all modes of transport, and safety.

The amount of new office space currently under construction in the Eastern City cluster will add over 500,000 square meters of new development and 11 new skyscrapers to the district. This rapid growth makes improving and expanding public spaces a high priority. The vision lays out several key public realm projects, including the potential closure of Camomile Street to vehicles to create a new public plaza, improvements to arrival areas like Fenchurch Street Station, and lighting enhancements along historic Lombard Street.

Kate Hart, Chief Executive of the Eastern City BID said: "As the Eastern City continues to grow as a global business hub, we have a responsibility to shape that growth in a way that benefits workers, residents and visitors. This public realm vision provides an exciting blueprint for creating the type of dynamic, 21st century urban environment that will allow the Eastern City to thrive."

Policy Chairman and Political Leader of the City of London Corporation, Chris Hayward, said: “The Eastern City BID's Public Realm Vision is a welcome contribution to our ongoing mission to attract new businesses and people to a dynamic and thriving Square Mile. Organisations like the EC BID will play an important role in the City’s future and the City of London Corporation looks forward to their help for enhancing the prosperity, equity and sustainability of the area.

“Whether it be through the continued year-on-year rise in office attendance, or spending in local businesses, it is clear that our growth strategy, supported by the BIDs, is already having real impact.” 

Chairman of the City of London Planning and Transportation Committee, Shravan Joshi, said: “Through its public realm vision, the Eastern City BID has demonstrated a commitment from business in the area to fostering a more dynamic inclusive, safer, cleaner, and greener public realm for everyone.

“The Vision offers valuable ideas for enhancing the public spaces that connect and enrich these already thriving environments, whilst providing new inspiration that aligns with our strategies for the future prosperity of the Square Mile, including City Plan 2040, the Transport Strategy and the Climate Action Strategy.”

Lucy Musgrave OBE, Founding Director of Publica, said: ‘The opportunity of this EC BID Public Realm Vision is to provide a coherence to the spaces in between buildings to ensure every street and journey is accessible, safe, and a place shared by many, that has the right civic amenity, and that we are all proud of.

The Eastern City Vision is supported by seven aims, developed through consultation with stakeholders in the area, which articulate specific aspects of the public life of the EC BID area: 

• Welcoming publicly accessible spaces – designing spaces that are inviting and accommodating;
• Resilient trees and planting – ensuring the area is as green as possible;
• Lively uses and activity – creating a dynamic and energetic place;
• Intuitive navigation – making it easier to reach your destination;
• Historic character and lighting – celebrating and improving the heritage features;
• A mobility environment accessible to all – establishing environments where modes of movement can co-exist;
• A safe and secure neighbourhood – promoting spaces where all users feel safe.

Further work will now be undertaken by the BID, working closely with its partners at the City of London Corporation, Transport for London, and property developers to test feasibility, develop funding models and delivery strategies for some of the projects included in the Vision document.

The Vision identifies projects which form part of key routes through the EC area, ranging from small scale interventions to larger scale transformational projects, including:

Camomile Street - through a transformation of London Wall, the feasibility of which is being explored by the City of London, there is an opportunity to entirely close Camomile Street to traffic and create a new meaningful piece of public realm at Camomile Street with planting and seating.

Fenchurch Street station - a clearer arrival route from London Street and at Fenchurch Street can improve the pedestrian experience here. More diverse planting and more generous planting beds can transform this space into a greener gem, whilst retaining open space for the lunchtime food market.

Lombard Street - the heritage buildings and features along Lombard Street’s short stretch that could be enhanced through lighting. The existing cycle facility could be improved. The north-south connection of Nicholas Lane to the already-paved Birchin Lane, and the addition of a raised table at this junction, would improve the pedestrian experience. Small-scale planting could be added to these quiet lanes to further enhance the environment.

Eastcheap – this is an important route for both vehicles and pedestrians and should remain a two-way street dedicated primarily to movement. Safe space for cycles can be introduced in both directions, adding to the role of this street as moving people east and west across the area. Loading areas would be retained but can be paved and given over to primarily pedestrian use at peak times. Pedestrian comfort can be improved with marked crossings, and modest pavement widening where possible.

The full Eastern City Public Realm Vision is available for download at www.ecbid.co.uk/vision